Fate
by wildcat4life
Summary: Gabriella Montez, soft spoken, shy and a dedicated student. But when she finds out that she's pregnant, she moves to Albuquerque to attend East High, meeting new friends. But only one friend will stand by her through her life changes. Troy Bolton.
1. Start Of Something New

I own nothing of High School Musical. It belongs to Disney.

**A/N: *sigh* All right, you guys. Just so everyone knows, I had terminated the story "The Way It Is"... I'm sorry I didn't send a warning! I know you all were looking forward to it but I just couldn't rewrite the same plot as before. So I decided to write my new Troyella story like this. I wanted to change the plot completely _(mind you, this isn't in my original story line but I want to do something different)_. I am so so soooo sorry about the sudden change and inconvenience. But I'm hoping you all will enjoy this.**

_Summary: Gabriella Montez, soft spoken, shy and a dedicated student. But when she finds out that she's pregnant, she and her mother move to Albuquerque for her to attend East High, meeting new friends. But only one special friend will stand by her side during this wild change of her life. Troy Bolton._

I stood and watched as my surroundings and the people of it were in motion. Right before my eyes, all I could see were people I didn't know. The picture painted in front of me was of unfamiliar faces. And it felt like everyone was watching me. I didn't know how I was going to adjust to these new faces. This new school. Or even this new town. It didn't really matter if I did anyway. I would just have to move again eventually. Yep. I knew the routine. _Don't get too comfortable and don't make any permanent decisions_. Although, I seemed to have missed the concept of one. I wouldn't have had to move if I didn't end up making the dumbest decision of my life. Three months ago, I had found out that I was pregnant.

Who am I? Gabriella Marie Montez.

After telling my mother, her first thought was just to forget about it and move. And to make matters worse, this definitely wasn't a planned pregnancy. There wasn't a planned anything. The story on how I became pregnant wasn't just a _'I had sex and that's how it happened'_ story. I had only known the guy that I slept with for a week. His name was Jules Sanchez. He wasn't my boyfriend or anything. He was just a person I had met at a party I went to with a 'friend' one night. A week later at another party, I had been under the influence of alcohol and I didn't think anything of it. I was carelessly having shot after shot. Before I knew it, I was drunk to a point of being on an unconscious level. That same night, I was taken into a room while that guy had drunken sex with my unconscious body. My 'friend' didn't tell me about it until the day after. I can't say I haven't tried contacting him. But after a while of trying, I couldn't continue. My baby would just never know who its father is and it was all of _my_ fault for being so careless.

I could feel myself slowly dying inside. I didn't know if I were ready to meet new faces or interact with new people. Especially when they would all find out soon what my little secret was. I studied some of the faces of the students passing me by. Same average looking people like the ones at my old school. So how much different could East High be?

"Excuse me, young lady?" an elderly cheerful voice said.

I turned around nervously and instantly became intimidated by the bigger lady standing in front of me. She had an odd style of clothes but seemed very into retro fashion.

"You've got approximately three minutes until the final bell rings. You should be at your class by now. Not standing around in these hall ways" she said.

"Right, um" I stammered. I nervously glanced down at the small sheet of paper I had in my hands.

"Who do you have first, dear?" the lady asked.

I glanced over at the nearest clock and saw that it was almost time for my first class of the day. I looked down at my schedule and read who I had for home room.

"Mrs. H. Darbus" I read softly.

The lady raised her eyebrows slowly and then cracked a small smile of her face. "Wonderful" she commented as she walked away. I looked down at my feet and then shook my head. That was a little bit weird. I guessed that if all of the teachers and students were like that at this school then I should fit in perfectly. I walked to my assigned class room and followed the direction the lady gave me.

East High was definitely bigger than my last school. And there were more class rooms as well. _'Room 30' _the red lettering on the door read. I slowly pulled the door open and took a step further into the room. And now I was certain that all eyes were on me. There were so many faces, I didn't know which to look at. My eyes slowly made fair glances at about everyone in the class room. I was unknowingly drawing attention to myself. Well, what would you do if you got moved to a new school and you just found out that you're having a baby with someone you barely know? The older teacher that I had saw earlier was in my sight yet again. She shot a friendly smile at me and then extended her hand out for me to seat myself in the back of the room by the chalk board. All I heard now were the sound of my own foot steps making it to the chair I was assigned to. Eyes were on me for about another minute before the lady spoke up. This time when she spoke, she spoke with a more firm and professional voice.

"Good morning, class. I am your teacher Mrs. Darbus" she said once the class was quiet.

I furrowed my brows and raised my hand shyly. "Yes?" Mrs. Darbus called on me.

"You're Mrs. Darbus?" I asked. A few people snickered at my brainless question.

"Yes, dear. I am Mrs. Heather Darbus. And I am your drama teacher" she said as kind as she could. She had already knew that my pointless question was not needed. She, without causing further disruption answered me straight. I nodded, understanding where I was at now. It usually wasn't like me to ask pointless questions but I was so nervous, I was completely unaware of that if I had continued talking I would just ramble.

"This class is to teach you, not only performing arts, but for you to develop self esteem, discipline, and learn culture. Those three things will be expected of you in this class" she said. I bowed my head and looked down at my flat stomach. I hadn't noticed anything different with it yet. But just knowing that I was pregnant was becoming an issue for me to come to terms with and was unknowingly becoming a distraction for myself.

"Ms. Montez?" she said loudly. I jumped and looked up immediately.

"Yes?" I asked timidly.

"That is your name, right? Gabriella Montez?" Mrs. Darbus asked.

"Yes" I answered.

"Well, I would appreciate it if you stayed with us today and not in la-la land. I do not like to waste my time with students who are too bored and silly to their teacher enough respect to listen to them" she said harshly.

"Yes, ma'am" I said, now my feelings hurt. A few students laughed at me. Now that I was pregnant, my emotions were easily taken on a ride. I kept glancing at the clock, hoping class would end at the time I thought. But it just seemed like first class was taking forever to end.

"And now, my dears your assignment for today is to mingle with your classmates. This is not a compatibility test and you may not talk to anyone you already know. This is to build your social skills and so that you do not have any problems with any of your classmates if I decide to pair you guys up" Mrs. Darbus said.

Great. Now I am being forced to make friends with people that already think I'm weird. I already knew I would probably fail this class. It didn't matter anyway. I didn't even sign up for Drama class anyway!

"Excuse me, Mrs. Darbus. Although, you come up with excellent ideas and you're an amazing teacher but if this the case, I think I should receive an A on this assignment since I, well as you already know, am the most known person at this school and I can get along with _everybody_" said a voice from the front of the room. I captured the voice's face and it was a girl. She had long and beautiful gold hair, nice clothes and she looked pretty damn rich.

"Yes, Ms. Evans. But the point of this assignment is to try to get along with people you _don't_ already know" Mrs. Darbus said. The girl frowned.

"Well, that's going to be hard. Considering I know everyone in here" she said perkily.

"Well then, for this assignment, you can be paired up with Mrs. Montez. She's new here" Mrs. Darbus said pointing to me. I slumped in my seat as things began to get awkward. I looked over at the blonde and studied her expression as she did mine. I tried to think about what was going on in her mind right now. I wasn't one to judge a book by its cover, but if looks could kill, I would be dead by now. The girl didn't seem to be pleased to be paired up with me for the assignment. Apparently, I wasn't meeting up to her superficial standards.

"Yeah, I could tell" she said arrogantly. Everyone in the class except for three other people laughed.

I looked around the room and saw the people who didn't laugh at Ms. Evans' snide remark. One of them was a girl with a darker complexion sporting a read collar shirt with a white lab coat and had beautiful black hair with an A-line bob. She gave a look of disgust at the blonde. The other whom of which was a boy who was blonde and had an unusual feminine taste to his choice of clothing. He shook his head at the comment and his his face in the palms of his hands. Studying his expression, I guessed that he had some relation to the blonde.

And finally, the other whom was another male. But this one had his head bowed and he was focused on his paper... or at least he acted like he was occupied. He had eyes that were a rare blue and were as pretty as a blue sea. His body was toned perfectly for a seventeen year old. And his hair was nicely combed and styled. From his looks on the outside, I had thought that he had to be a person in Ms. Evans' group of people. If you guessed, I had a huge problem with mentally organizing a group of people into a clique. When Mrs. Darbus began timing us on the assignment, I got up slowly and walked over toward the blonde, and hoped that she wouldn't say anything else embarrassing or mean.

"Hi" I said shyly. She was too consumed in her cell phone to pay attention, or even notice that I was standing in her presence.

"Oh, god, your looks are worse than I thought!" she grimaced at me. I frowned at her comment.

"Yeah, so. I'm Gabriella" I ignored her and introduced myself.

"Whatever. Just act like we're socializing" she said checking back with her phone. Before I knew it, I lost her when she went back to texting God knows who. I sighed and stared at the blank paper in my notebook. I knew now that I was going to fail my first assignment. Just when I thought I was screwed, I heard someone call for my attention.

"Hey, you want to come over here with us?" a girl asked. I was about to answer the girl but then I just looked at my blonde partner and saw that she was still into her cell phone and then looked at Ms. Darbus whom seemed to be into her class work.

"Don't worry, she wont notice" the girl said. I took one more glance at the two and then went over to sit by the girl who called me to her side.

"Don't you worry. Unlike _her_, I wouldn't want to be responsible for you getting a bad grade on your first assignment _because_ she didn't want to participate" the girl chuckled.

"Thanks" I said simply.

"I'm Taylor McKessie" the girl introduced herself. I smiled at her politely and shook her hand.

"I'm Gabriella. Montez. I just moved here from Phoenix" I said hesitantly. Taylor smiled at me as she flipped through her note book. I glanced a few times at the turning pages and noticed that a lot had been written on them. Taylor happened to stop on a page where a science example was written down. I looked back up at her face and furrowed my brows.

"So, you're into science?" I asked shyly but trying to keep the conversation moving.

"Yeah, I love science" Taylor replied. I smiled a little bit. I guess you could say by now I was terrible with conversation. I looked back at my original partner and saw that now she was leaned against a desk belonging to the boy I had eyes on earlier. She laughed and flipped her blond locks occasionally. Then I looked back at Taylor with a softer expression. Taylor saw what I was staring at and she blanched at the seen.

"Who is that girl anyway?" I asked.

"That's Sharpay Evans. Best student in Drama class, winner of all of East High's talent shows since freshman year, and most popular girl in school" Taylor explained. As she explained Sharpay, I stared at her and locked all details about her into my head. Then I saw another male walk toward her. She had shooed him away and he seemed hurt. It was the male whom seemed to like the color pink more than Sharpay did.

"And that would be her twin brother, Ryan. He's actually the 'good twin'" Taylor pointed out. At first I was in shock. I wouldn't have guessed that they were twins. Ryan really did seem nicer than his twin. I then looked at the male whom looked like he had been enduring the Sharpay's conceited jabber for quite some time. But at the same time, I could tell that he was trying to tolerate her enough to just be polite. Either that or he just didn't want to upset her. Sharpay Evans seemed like the type where if you messed with her, she would come back at you worse.

"Whose that?" I asked.

"That's Troy Bolton. Captain of the basketball team and most popular guy in school" Taylor said. The minute I heard his background, my sudden interest in him went away. I wasn't impressed by pretty boys who were jocks. I knew by now he wouldn't at all be the person I hoped he would be if I ever talked to him. And clearly, he was off limits due to Sharpay's cling to him as if she owned the guy.

"Cool" I replied as I scribbled notes in my notebook. I saw another male walk next to Sharpay and Troy. He had frizzy hair and a nice body himself as well. I guessed that he was a friend of Troy's since he had a basketball in his hands. Then I saw him look my way and wink. I looked over at Taylor and she winked back at him.

"Do you know him?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's my boyfriend, Chad. He's a bit of a dope but you'll learn to love him" she said passionately. I chuckled at Taylor's gaze at the male. I could tell that she really liked him. Overall, it seemed like I were being surrounding by people with their own interesting traits.

"Hey, sexy" Taylor's boyfriend approached.

"Hey, honey" Taylor said lovingly.

"So, did you get done with last night's math homework?" Chad asked.

"I did. Why? What answered have you written down that don't match mine?" Taylor joked. I laughed at her sense of humor. Chad looked at me for a moment and I stopped laughing.

"Oh, hun, this is Gabriella. She just moved here from Phoenix" Taylor said. I smiled at Chad.

"Nice to meet you. Is Phoenix near Australia or something?" Chad asked stupidly.

I laughed. "No its actually in Arizona" I replied. The three of us laughed.

"Well, don't worry, Gabs. Consider East High your permanent home" Chad welcomed. I found Chad's nick name for me cute as well.

"I wish I could say the same" I remarked.

"Why not?" Taylor asked, disappointment being clear in her voice.

"Because my mom's probably just going to make me move again" I replied.

"That's understandable" Chad said. I nodded. I looked back over at Troy once Sharpay had left his side to go back to her cell phone that I heard go off literally every two minutes.

"Gabs?" Chad said.

"Yeah?" I responded with a sigh, letting my thoughts of the basketball jock go.

"Would you like to join us and some of our friends at lunch?" he asked.

I nodded. "Sure. I'd like that" I said absentmindedly. I didn't know what I had just gotten myself into.

After hours of class time I was finally getting a break. I used a few minutes to use the ladies room.

In the ladies room, I washed and dried my hands and went over to the bathroom mirror to examine myself. I tucked in loose curls of my hair and made myself look orderly before accompanying my new acquaintances at lunch. I looked at my stomach in the mirror. It hadn't grown big, but I did look like I had gained a few pounds since I found out about my pregnancy three months ago. I didn't at all feel comfortable about being at a new school with different people and absolutely no one besides my mother knew my secret. I wondered that if I had continued to hang out with my new friends after today, should I feel obligated to tell them about my pregnancy. But then I could only think that I was asking for trouble if I did that. I stopped thinking and went ahead to the lunch room.

"Over here, Gabs!" Taylor called from afar. I walked over toward the table that she and other people were sitting at.

"We thought you forgot about us" Chad pointed out. I smiled at him as I took a seat down. My heart began to pound in my chest when I saw Troy walking over toward our table.

"What's up, man?" Chad said as he greeted Troy with a friendly hug and handshake. I felt a smile tugging at my lips watching the two men goof around.

"Gabs, this is Troy. Troy, this is Gabriella a.k.a. _The Gabster_" Chad joked while introducing me.

"Hey" Troy said as he smiled his pretty boy smile at me. I smiled back politely while still trying to hide my feelings.

"Hi" I replied in sort of a whisper.

"We have Drama together" he said. I nodded as he stated the obvious. I tried to seem unenthusiastic about his appearance and I guess it was convincing enough to make him not want to say anything else to me. Maybe I was being too serious. It was silent for a moment.

"So, what do you think of East High so far?" Taylor asked.

"It's fine. The teachers are nice... sort of. And the people seem okay. Its nothing different from my last school though" I recalled.

"I gotta tell you. At East High, things never stay the same. Things here change every year" Chad said.

"That must be scary" I commented.

"It's actually exciting for us. But why is that scary for you?" Taylor asked.

I rolled my eyes to think about the comparison between my school and East High school. "I mean at my last school, people were more mean and if there was change, it was usually bad. I just assumed that you guys might go through that" I thought.

"Here, some times its good but then it does have its down moments" Taylor said. I looked at Troy whom said nothing the whole time. He just sat beside Chad and stayed quiet while the three of us mingled.

"I guess so" I said. I was beginning to get hungry so I pulled out a bag of lunch that I had packed. Taylor, Chad, and even Troy were in shock at what I had brought for lunch. I pulled out a plastic knife and a pickle that was sealed in a plastic sandwich bag with a jar of peanut butter.

"So, ugh, what's with the pickle and peanut butter?" Taylor asked.

"I think their good together" I said with a weak smile.

"You'd have to be pregnant to eat something like that!" Chad remarked.

I furrowed my eyebrows and choked back a fake cough. "Why would you think that?" I asked unknowingly making it so obvious.

"I don't know. Because its a weird combination, I guess" Chad said. I chuckled at his wonder.

Lunch time was over. I used my spare five minutes to get a drink of water. I was so happy that I could be able to eat and follow through my day regularly with out the early symptoms of pregnancy stopping me. For the first three months, I was puking up pretty much everything I ate. I felt tired and fatigue every day. I still felt a little bit of everything nowadays but it wasn't as bad as the first three months were. Little did I know, Troy was walking up behind me, waiting to drink at the fountain. I wiped the corner of my mouth and turned around to be startled by the figure in front of me.

"Sorry" I muttered nervously to him as I tried to walk in another direction.

"Hey there, Gabriella" he said with a smile.

"Hey" I said simply as I continued to walk to my next class. I could swear that not even less than a minute ago, he was by my side again.

"Who do you have for your next class?" he asked catching his breath.

I looked confused. "Mr. Logan's science class. Why?" I asked.

He looked like he was thinking up reason. "Just thought I'd walk you to your class. You know, so you don't feel weird walking in by yourself" he said. I immediately felt hurt by his reason.

"Why would you think I need someone to walk me to class? I'm not retarded, you know" I said, my hormones beginning to rage.

Troy was taken aback. "I never said you were. I just thought that it would be nice to walk you to class" he said defensively.

"I appreciate the offer but, I can manage just fine. Thank you" I said as I kept on walking to class, leaving him behind. I know, my attitude was a little out of hand but the way he gave his reason for wanting to walk me to class was, in some way, offensive to me. The last thing I needed was to do was be on everyone's bad side just because I was too insecure and stubborn to admit that I was intimidated by most of the people that surrounded me. And that was exactly what this attitude was going to do for me if I didn't learn to control it. At the same time, it was probably just my hormones.

The next hour went by fast. I had spent the majority of my last class thinking about the way I came off on Troy. It wasn't like me to be defensive. I could really tell that he was just looking for someone to talk to. And I sure wasn't giving him a fair chance. I thought that if I went and found him after class, I could just talk with him then. Once the bell rang and I gathered all of my belongings, I went out to find him. First I searched in the gymnasium. A few players had gotten changed into their uniform and was getting ready for practice. But I didn't see Troy. After finding out that he wasn't in the gymnasium, I gave up on my search, being certain I wouldn't find him anywhere else.

"Troy!" a perky voice called out. It was Sharpay. She walked quickly over toward the lockers where Troy was seen. I had found him. Only, now wasn't a good time to go up to him since Sharpay was there.

"I just know you'll do good at the game next week. So there's no need for me to wish you luck!" she said.

"Sharpay, The game isn't for another month" Troy corrected.

"Whatever. I just want you to win this one for me, okay? Tootles!" she said as she pranced her way out through the exit of the school. Troy slammed his locker closed and rolled his eyes. He swung his gym bag over his shoulder and headed my way. He hadn't noticed me standing by the same fountain we ran into each other by earlier. I wanted to come out and say something to him but I kept thinking that he was still made about earlier. When his eyes went to me, I almost couldn't breathe.

"Hey" I said as I sighed to catch my breath.

"Hi, Gabriella. What are you still doing here?" he asked. He looked beautiful when I saw his eyes up close instead of far.

"Well, um. I just don't go home right away after school" I said. It was the best answer I had.

He chuckled. "Well, neither do I. I pretty much have no choice but to stay after and practice" he said.

I smiled and nodded. He looked down at his basketball and then found courage to speak up again. "I'm captain of the basketball team" he stated.

"I figured that out" I joked with a giggle. Troy giggled with me, making the feeling mutual and less awkward.

"That must be great for you" I added.

"It is great. My dad's got this thing going for me that if I keep playing for East High, I can get a scholarship and I don't even have to worry about paying for college. My dream is to some day play in the NBA" he said as his eyes wandered to the roof as he twirled the basketball with his hands.

I frowned when reality had set in. This days was getting better and better- hint my sarcasm. He was going off to college to play basketball and become rich while I was going to be here, a teenager and raising a child whose father I had no support from. It hurt to think of the way my life was going. But I knew I needed to deal with it.

"What's wrong?" he asked. I was surprised that he even paid enough attention to realize that something was wrong.

"Nothing. Its just that I'm still trying to adjust to a new school" I lied.

"Had you moved schools before?" he asked.

"Practically all of my life" I answered.

"Then how could you not be used to it by now?" he asked again.

I thought for a moment. "I don't know. My reason for moving last time was a little more complicated than the rest" I sighed. Troy nodded and gave a look of sympathy.

"Well, we all have complicated stories, don't we?" he asked.

"I don't know, Troy. Do you?" I asked him. He smiled and looked up to think.

"I have a few. But its personal" he said. I nodded in understanding.

"Well, maybe one day you could tell me about it if you trust me enough" I said as I was preparing to walk away.

Troy stared at me for a moment before replying. He had a look in his eyes that I couldn't apprehend.

"Yeah. And maybe when you feel comfortable enough someday, we could talk about you" he said. I turned around and cocked a brow at him.

"Maybe" I said as I continued walking. I saw Troy smile and wave good bye as I was making my way to the exit of the school. My mother was waiting for me in her van. I got inside and prepared for the many questions my mother was about to ask concerning my day.

"So, Mija, how was your first day?" my mother asked me. I looked at her for a while.

"It was great, Mom" I said sarcastically.

"Great! Well, I'm glad you at least had a good first day" said my mother. I furrowed my brows at her in disbelief. My mom didn't take anything I said or did seriously. I knew she always pictured me to be this perfect daughter but I had been none other than a disappointment to her. I shook my head and then pulled out my cell phone to play a game.

"I talked to your father" she said. My ears instantly picked up at what she said.

"What did he say? Did he talk about me?" I asked, feeling excited that my mother heard from my dad.

"Not exactly, but-" I cut my mom off.

"I'm sorry, Mom. But I don't want to hear anything about Dad unless he wants to speak to me" I said.

"Gabriella, you know he's trying the best he can to reconnect with you but he's very busy lately" my mom said.

"Yeah, he's so-o-o busy, he can barely find the time to pick up the phone and say 'Hey, Maria, let me talk to the daughter I haven't seen in over ten years!'" I said, my eyes filling up with tears. My mom was about to talk again before she saw me put head phones into my ears and listen to my iPod. With my music blasting in my ears, I tried hard to fight by my tears. I felt neglected by my father. I couldn't even call him _father._ The last time I had seen or heard anything from him was when I was on my seventh birthday. Since then, he had left and I hadn't seen him since. At this point I was growing to hate that man. Because I was lacking a father figure was probably why I always felt like I needed a guy in my life. In result, I ended up pregnant with a stranger's baby. I couldn't help but be bitter with myself and all of the mistakes I had made.

I had never felt so lost and alone in my life. I moved so much, I didn't have any friends to be close to. I didn't have much family with me or even enough to keep me sane. And now I was three months pregnant with a child whose life I had already screwed up. And to make matters worse, now I was crushing on someone at my school that I couldn't have. It felt like my world was crashing down piece by piece. While I sat at home and tried finishing my homework, I couldn't stop thinking of my baby's father. I really wanted him to have some part in my child's life even though I didn't know him well, just so my kid didn't grow up without a father. I searched through my phone to dial his number.

"Jules?" I said with a weak voice.

"What do you want?" his voice said on the other line.

"I just wanted to know. Are you with me or aren't you? I don't mean relationship-wise but are you here for our baby?" I asked.

"No, Gabriella. I am not there for either of you. We had one night. That's it" Jules said straight out.

"Yeah, and that one night resulted in _me_ being pregnant with _your_ kid!" my voice cracked, tears filling up in my eyes.

"Well, you should have thought about things before you got yourself into this mess" Jules said.

"Maybe _you_ shouldn't have taken advantage of me!" I argued.

"Don't even say that, Gabriella. You know that I did not take advantage of you" he said calmly.

"Yes you did, Jules! I was passed out from drinking and you took it away from me!" I said silently, unable to hold back my tears any longer. I sobbed quietly into my pillow. I heard him sigh on the other line.

"I'm sorry, Gabriella. But I meant what I said. I don't want you talking to me anymore. And do what you want with that kid. Its not my problem" he said as I heard the other line hang up. I dropped my cell phone and stared blankly at any object my eye saw. I was emotionally beaten down by Jules' words. I couldn't believe that he wanted my body, got it, and didn't even want to take responsibility for any of it. I couldn't have reported it as a rape when it first happened. But now it was too late to hand that bastard what he needed. I was stuck with a baby whose father didn't even care about it. I broke down and cried. And I cried for a long time.

Hours had passed and I was still hurt about my phone call. But I didn't want to mope around the house for the rest of the night. I wanted to take a walk and enjoy the fall breeze that was present for the night. On my walk, I thought to myself and cried some more. Just when I was ready to give up on walking, I had entered the park near my house for more solitude before returning home. I crouched down by a bench and sobbed into my hands.

"Gabriella?" a voice said. I sniffled and looked up and saw Troy. He still had his basketball uniform on with his gym bag swung over his shoulder. He looked at me with concern and bent down next to me.

"Are you crying?" he asked me. I wiped my tears and sniffled again.

"Why are you crying?" he sat down next to me.

I tried to hold back more tears but I just couldn't. I sobbed again as I let my tears fall freely down my warm cheeks.

"Hey, hey, hey" he said softly as he pulled me into his chest as he stroked my back. I cried harder, feeling worse each second I thought about how my day went. His fingers made their way to my hair and began stroking it as he whispered soothing words to me as I cried. I so badly wanted to tell Troy. But I couldn't put a burden like that on his shoulders. I didn't want to drive him away.

"Gabriella, please tell me what happened? I don't want you to cry anymore" he said. I looked him in his eyes and sniffled. I didn't know how to tell him how I was feeling let alone what had happened.

"I can't even talk about it" my voice cracked, my eyes welling up with more tears.

He sighed. "Brie, what ever it is, you can trust me. You can't keep it bottled up inside you like that" he said, sounding genuine and sincere. I was even softened up by the nick name he had given me.

"'Brie'?" I asked him.

"Yeah. As in Ga-_brie_-ella" he said. I chuckled softly. I felt myself getting goosebumps when I noticed that Troy was still holding me in his arms. After a moment, he had let go.

"Now, tell me what's going on" he said. He took my hand and pulled me up to my feet. We walked side by side back to our homes.

"First, what are you doing out here walking?" I asked him.

He chuckled before responding. "Some times I like to walk through the park and find a nice tree that I can climb" he said. I gave him a weird look and smiled at his answer.

"Why would you want to climb a tree?" I asked, finding his reason rather random.

"I've always like climbing trees since I was little. I like climbing them especially at night so I can touch the stars"

I laughed at his childish comment. I could see that in Troy's eyes, he was truly a believer. "I see" I said simply. I saw him smile at me. I smiled back, being taken away by his looks.

"Anyway, now do you want to tell me what happened?" he changed the subject. This was it. My chances of becoming good friends with Troy were now about to alter. But Troy seemed genuine. A little too genuine if you ask me. I couldn't keep my secret from him. I felt like I could trust him. But I also knew I were being vulnerable. But I hadn't a friend I could talk to about my situation. Even though my mother knew, I didn't enjoy talking to her about it. Especially now that I had seen that everything she had said before, she was right.

"You really want to know what happened to me?" I asked. He nodded.

I sighed. "I had to move because I got pregnant" I said.

"You have a baby?" he asked casually.

"No, I mean that I'm pregnant right now" I said as I looked at him. He seemed to be taken by surprise.

He tried to think of something to say. "Well, I don't see why you were crying. Having a baby is supposed to be a happy thing, right?" he asked.

"I wish it were a happy pregnancy for me. But the father doesn't want anything to do with it. Or me" I said. Troy really seemed to be taking the news well. Then again, he didn't really know me so there weren't many other ways he could react to my situation.

"Why not?" he asked, sounding surprised.

"He sees it as a one night stand, but I didn't ask for him to have sex with me. I was too drunk to remember anything that had happened" I said as I recalled that night and how it just angered me to think about it.

"So he... raped you?" he asked, now feeling uncomfortable. I looked at him and let my eyes answer for me. It all still hurt to think of the night.

I thought. "I don't know if I would call it 'rape'. But he did take advantage of me" I said, trying hard not to imagine the things that Jules had done to me.

"That's terrible!" he remarked. I nodded.

"So what are you going to do about the baby then?" he asked.

"I haven't given any thought about it. But now that I know for sure that Jules isn't going to be there, clearly I don't need this baby in my life either. I might just give it up for adoption" I said.

Troy stopped me in my tracks and looked me in my eyes. "Brie, I don't think you should give up your chance at mother hood before its happened" he said soft spoken.

"But I can't have this baby grow up without a father, Troy. I just can't!" I said, fighting more tears.

"Gabriella, listen. Just because that asshole didn't want to be in the baby's life doesn't mean that you don't have to" he said with sincerity.

I thought hard for a moment. If I were to give my baby up, I would have to live with the guilt for not being able to raise it for the rest of my life. If I were to keep it, I would be miserable raising it and would have to struggle for the rest of my life. I guess this was pretty much a lose/lose scenario for me. On the other hand, Troy did make a good point. I would feel lost if I tried to give up my child instead of giving motherhood a shot.

"I just want it to have a perfect life" I said as I moved my hand over my flat stomach.

Troy nodded. "I can't argue with that. But not everything can be perfect. If I were in your situation, I would only try the best I can to give my kid the life it deserves, but I wouldn't try to _make_ it perfect" he added.

"I guess" I replied. I wanted it to be perfect. But I realized that it could never be because my perception of _perfect_ was built on my baby have absolutely everything it needed. Including have a mother _and_ a father. Now, my baby would only have one parent that acknowledged and cared for it.

"Its up to you to decide what you're going to do. Just make sure you think hard before you do anything" he said softly. I nodded.

"I think I just realized that no matter what decision I make for this baby, its going to be hard" I said. He looked at me and smiled. I was confused of why he would smile at my statement.

"You'll be fine, Gabriella. And you have my support. And I promise I wont tell unless I have your permission" he said. I trusted him.

"Thank you, Troy. Just don't get yourself too caught up in my mess. I don't want your girlfriend making a big deal out of it" I grimaced.

"Who? Sharpay? No, she's not my girlfriend" he said. I studied his expression and saw that he didn't find Sharpay too pleasant either.

"I wouldn't have known. She seems to follow and run into you wherever you go" I said.

"You're not wrong. One time she actually followed me into the guys' bathroom in the fifth grade" he laughed. I laughed with him. I pictured Sharpay Evans younger and chasing him into the bathroom trying to get his attention.

"That must have been a scary experience for you" I joked. He nodded jokingly. The two of us stopped in our tracks and looked each other in the eyes. I was nervous, and I could tell that he was too.

"I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow?" I asked.

"You can bet on it" he smiled as he turned his head for a moment.

"Good night" I said as I walked back to my house.

I sure wasn't expecting to run into Troy Bolton of all people. But then just running into him made me realize a lot of things I hadn't before. He seemed to understand my situation than anyone else I could imagine. Although I couldn't help but think that I was falling for him. Then again, I had to stay on guard. Mess like that is what got me into this kind of trouble in the first place. But I was surprised that I could trust him. I had, for a while, had trouble trusting others ever since Jules decided not to man up to his responsibilities. But this was different. This was the start of something new. And I was surely going to see this through to the end.


	2. A Song That Describes You

I do not own High School Musical.

**A/N: First, I would like to thank my dear sister, Anya, for creating a cover page for this story! (_story cover image in profile_). Second, I would like to extend another apology to my readers about the last-minute termination of my last story (_I'm still very sorry!_). Also, I would like to thank those of you who reviewed this story so far. I am definitely continuing this one for sure! Here's a new chapter and please enjoy!**

Two weeks had passed since I had started at East High. I was slowly beginning to adjust to the way the school functioned. Every week I had spent lunch time with Taylor, her boyfriend Chad and on some days, Troy, if he ever had the time or made the effort to come and hang out with us. I was already sixteen weeks along in my pregnancy but I still wasn't showing. My doctor had told me that I wouldn't be for another month or so. I was fine with that though. Chad and Taylor had been the only friends I had interacted with at school. Although, even though it wasn't Troy's idea, I tried the best I could to keep distance from him while at school. I didn't want to cramp his style by hanging around him. The sound of the morning school bell screeched in my ears as I ran up next to Taylor whom was walking to homeroom, arms occupied with books.

"Do you usually show up to school literally two seconds before the bell rings?" Taylor asked.

"Not usually. I'm just not used to waking up in the mornings anymore" I said out of breath. Taylor cocked a brow at me, not understanding my tiredness. The two of us walked into Mrs. Darbus' class and took our seats. I saw Troy turn his head to look at me and he smiled. I smiled back nervously. But then I frowned when I saw Sharpay walk up to Troy's desk to sit down on it and start flirting with him. I blanched at the sight. I couldn't understand how someone like that girl could think she's wanted around here. She was beginning to get on my nerves just by looking at her. Although, I was amused by watching Troy's pained expression painted on his face. I knew that he wasn't delighted to Sharpay's company. I snapped out of my thoughts when Mrs. Darbus took her pointer and tapped it loudly on her throne to get the students' undivided attention.

"Good morning, my dears" she said with a loving voice.

"Good morning, Mrs. Darbus" the class said in unison.

"First off, and don't be alarmed. But in approximately a month, the East High Drama committee will be hosting auditions for our school's _twenty fifth_ talent show" students in the class murmured. Some sounded excited and others seemed unenthusiastic. For me, I was not, under any circumstances, participating in a school talent show. Not now and not ever! I had no other physical talent besides multiplying huge numbers and succeeding in chemistry. Basically, my only talent was being a nerd.

"Which _I_ will be participating in and hosting auditions with the committee, since I _am_ an active member of the performing arts committee myself" Sharpay pointed out. I saw Taylor turn her head toward me and she rolled her eyes at Sharpay's outburst.

"Thank you for that, Sharpay. You may sit down now and I will hand you the talking stick when its your turn to have the floor" Mrs. Darbus said.

"My apologies, Mrs. Darbus" she kissed up. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Now. The real assignment for today is to see how well you open up to people" Mrs. Darbus said.

_Well, that has to be insane. This was something I was anything but good at doing. Jeez, could this get any worse?_ I thought.

"And your assignment will be for you to come forth to the front of the class and either sing a song of your choice or improvise a skit" she smiled. My stomach sank.

_Yep. It just got worse, _I thought again.

I couldn't believe Mrs. Darbus wanted us to perform in front of the class. I wasn't even considering being in the talent show. So why did I have to perform in front of the class? I raised my hand.

"Yes, dear" Mrs. Darbus called softly. All eyes were on me. By now, it was becoming hard for me to even remember the question I had for my teacher.

"Ma'am, not that I don't appreciate you taking precious time out of your day to put together a performance, but I wasn't planning on participating" I said nervously, feeling intimidated.

"You don't have to participate in the _talent show_, my dear. But you _do_ have to do today's assignment if you want to receive a promising grade" she said. I sighed as I slumped in my chair. I wasn't good with people watching me.

"What's the matter, Montez. Afraid that you can't sing as good as I can?" Sharpay shot. The whole class except for Sharpay's brother, Troy, Taylor, and Chad exclaimed. I felt like I wanted to puke.

"She's never even heard you sing before, so give her a break!" Taylor said.

"Excuse me, brainiac, was anyone talking to you? I think not!" Sharpay shot back.

"I will mop the floor with you, don't even get me started Sharpay!" Taylor said violently. I was almost scared of the girl.

"I'd like to see you-" Sharpay was being interrupted by Mrs. Darbus tapping her pointer loudly on her throne again. There was silence again and finally.

"Ladies, is _this_ how we really behave to each other?" Mrs. Darbus asked disappointed.

"No" the two said in unison.

"I didn't think so. Now Taylor, you learn to ignore comments and Sharpay, one more word out of you, and you will be ineligible for auditioning in the talent show. Understood?" she threatened. Taylor nodded in understanding, although Sharpay confirmed her agreement with a simple pout.

"Gabriella, honey, now I always like to say, if there is any fear in the world that is preventing you from accomplishing a beneficial task, its usually best to conquer it head on" Mrs. Darbus expressed. I cocked a brow at her.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

The teacher sighed as she removed her huge glasses and rubbed her eyes. "I mean, if performing in front of a crown bothers you that much, you should just go first and get it over with" she simplified. As I was about to protest, Sharpay raised her hand.

"I'll go first if chicken- excuse me, _Montez_ wont" she said mockingly. I glared at the back of Sharpay's head. I hated that girl. I didn't know why she always had to be so evil and quick to make someone look like a fool.

"Please, be our guest then" Mrs. Darbus bowed her head allowing Sharpay to come up to the front of the class.

_Cue to dramatic sequence, _I thought as I rolled my eyes.

Sharpay got into dance position as Mrs. Darbus turned on up-beat music for Sharpay to sing to. She hadn't even started singing and I was already growing nauseous just watching her 'dance'

**Sharpay is going to sing "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" by Paris Hilton. (A/N: Sorry, guys, it was the only song I could think of for her)**

_She sits alone waiting for suggestions  
>He's so nervous avoiding all her questions<br>His lips are dry, her heart is gently pounding  
>Don't you just know exactly what they're thinking?<em>

_If you want my body and you think I'm sexy_  
><em>Come on, sugar, let me know<em>  
><em>If you really need me just reach out and touch me<em>  
><em>Come on, honey, tell me so<em>

_If you want my body and you think I'm sexy_  
><em>Come on, sugar, let me know<em>

_If you really need me just reach out and touch me  
>Come on, honey, tell me so<em>

_His heart's beating like a drum_  
><em>'Cause at last he's got his girl home<em>  
><em>Relax, baby, now we are alone<em>

_[break]_

_They wake at dawn 'cause all the birds are singing_  
><em>Two total strangers but that ain't what they're thinking<em>  
><em>Outside it's cold, misty and it's raining<em>  
><em>They got each other, neither one's complaining<em>  
><em>He say's I'm sorry but I'm out of milk and coffee<em>  
><em>Never mind, sugar, we can watch the early movie<em>

_If you want my body and you think I'm sexy_  
><em>Come on, sugar, let me know<em>  
><em>If you really need me just reach out and touch me<em>  
><em>Come on, honey, tell me so<em>  
><em>Tell me so, baby<em>

"Do you think I'm sexy?" Sharpay said with a seductive voice as she finished her song.

"I think you're smokin' hot!" a boy shouted from a side of the room. The whole class laughed at the boy as Mrs. Darbus dragged him by the collar of his shirt and told him to go to the principle's office.

"Thank you Sharpay for that performance" Mrs. Darbus said as she grimaced at Sharpay's dance. I have to say that I missed the part where she danced. I didn't recall touching yourself to be 'dancing'. The class clapped for her performance. By being polite, I clapped my hands a few times. Sharpay took a bow and then returned to her seat.

"Its your turn, Montez. Now, just remember that the bathroom is down the hall in case you throw up" Sharay mocked. I glared at her as I slowly walked up to the front of the class room. I stood as still as a board once I was in front. I looked at all of the people in the class. If I thought it was weirder before when people watched me, I knew for certain by now. I felt my pitiless stomach churning acid as I grew more nervous by the minute.

_What song do I know by heart?_ I wondered. It took me about a minute before I finally came up with a song to sing. I looked over at Mrs. Darbus.

"Any time you're ready, love" she said. I nodded and then looked around the class again. I looked at Troy whom was in the first seat in the third row of desks. I began to breath heavy, almost ready to run out of the class room. No one had ever heard me sing before.

_You can do it_, I saw Troy mouth. I smiled weakly at him as my mind played a melody.

**Gabriella had chosen "Insensitive" by Leann Rimes.**

Deep breath.

_How do you cool your lips  
>After a summer's kiss<br>How do you rid the sweat  
>After the body bliss<br>How do you turn your eyes  
>From the romantic glare<br>How do you block the sound of a voice  
>You'd know anywhere<em>

_[Chorus]_  
><em>Oh I really should have known<em>  
><em>By the time you drove me home<em>  
><em>By the vagueness in your eyes<em>  
><em>Your casual good-byes<em>  
><em>By the chill in your embrace<em>  
><em>The expression on your face<em>  
><em>That told me you might have some advice to give<em>  
><em>On how to be insensitive<em>

_How do you numb your skin_  
><em>After the warmest touch<em>  
><em>How do you slow your blood<em>  
><em>After the body rush<em>  
><em>How do you free your soul<em>  
><em>After you've found a friend<em>  
><em>How do you teach your heart it's time<em>  
><em>To fall in love again<em>

_Oh you probably won't remember me_  
><em>It's probably ancient history<em>  
><em>I'm one of the chosen few<em>  
><em>Who went ahead and fell for you<em>  
><em>I'm out of vogue, I'm out of touch<em>  
><em>I fell too fast, I feel too much<em>  
><em>I thought that you might have some advice to give<em>  
><em>On how to be insensitive<em>

_[Chorus]  
>Oh I really should have known<br>By the time you drove me home  
>By the vagueness in your eyes<br>Your casual good-byes  
>By the chill in your embrace<br>The expression on your face  
>That told me you might have some advice to give<br>On how to be insensitive  
><em>

I took my last breath as I finished my song. The whole class grew silent. Then I looked at every face my eyes let me see at a time. On Taylor and Chad's face, it was almost as if they could cry. On Sharpay's she seemed in shock by my hidden talent, and Troy's expression was unexplainable. He had looked like he had fallen in love with the song. His eyes shined in mine as mine did in his. It was hard for me to believe that I had just sang in front of people. Everyone began to clap, and including Mrs. Darbus whom looked as if she really enjoyed my singing.

"Bravo, Ms. Montez!" Mrs. Darbus shouted. I smiled and took a bow before returning to my seat. Troy turned his head and looked at me again. I exhaled and smiled back at him and he winked, making me blush.

Class periods later, It was lunch. I walked down the halls of my school to get to the lunch room to meet with Chad and Taylor but I was stopped by Sharpay and her twin brother, Ryan. I stood still and eyed the blonde until she finally spoke.

"I was wrong about you, Montez. Looks like you could be some healthy competition for the talent show after all" she gave a sickly smile.

"Um, thanks?" I said. She smiled again.

"But, I'm not doing the talent show, so you have nothing to worry about" I reassured her.

"Oh, come on and stop it with that 'I'm so shy' act of yours. You can really show people that you do have some talent underneath the nerd cap" she said.

"I would but its just not me. So, I'm not going to" I said as I tried walking past her. But she stopped me again.

"Montez, you've got a lot of potential. I can tell just by looking at you. Just don't blow it by being hidden behind books. Chat with 'ya again later. Tootles!" she said as she walked a different way. I shook my head in disbelief. I didn't understand Sharpay's sudden change in heart. For the past two weeks, she had made my life in our class miserable and now she was telling me that I possess great qualities. I was confused. I stopped thinking when I was being approached by Troy.

"Well, if it isn't Ms. Montez, future super star of East High" Troy said jokingly as I laughed at his random approach line.

"Well, I don't know about 'super star' but according to Sharpay, I've 'got a lot of potential'" I said as the two of us walked down the halls of our school.

"Sharpay really said that?" Troy asked.

"Yeah" I answered.

"Hmm. She's probably trying to scare you down before the auditions" Troy guessed. I chuckled.

"Actually, I'm not doing the talent show. Its just not my thing" I said. Troy's eyes widened.

"Why not, Brie? You definitely have a better voice than Sharpay does! All she likes to do is sing about herself and that's it" Troy pointed out.

"Troy, you really think I'm gonna sing with a huge belly hanging on the front of me?" I asked in a whisper.

The thought dawned over Troy's head as he remembered. "Oh, yeah. I forgot" he apologized.

"No worries" I said as I sighed and continued to walk with Troy to the cafeteria. When we finally entered the cafeteria, Troy and I looked at our friends sitting at the table we per-usually sat at for lunch.

"Gabs, I know this isn't my business but when did you plan on telling them that you're pregnant?" he asked.

I sighed. "I guess when I start showing in a month" I replied in monotone. I wondered why he would ask but I guess things were growing more weird the longer I waited to tell them. Chad and Taylor had already made it as my friends. I owed it to the both of them to know the truth about me. But then I worried for what they would think after that. I sat down beside Taylor as she greeted me with a smile and complemented me on my performance in drama class. All I could do was smile and express my modesty.

"Gabs, you were so great! Why the hell wouldn't you want to be in the talent show?" Taylor asked.

"There's something stopping me" I explained vaguely.

"Well, what is it?" Chad asked impatiently. I sighed heavily as I looked at Taylor and Chad in their eyes before replying with my sorry truth. I prayed they would take it well.

"I can't do the talent show because I'm having a baby" I got out.

"What?" Taylor exclaimed. Chad furrowed his eyebrows and looked at me.

"You don't look pregnant" Chad said. Taylor nudged him in his arm and whispered to him to shut up.

"When did you find this out? And how did this happen?" Taylor asked impatiently. Her questions overwhelmed me.

"It happened before I came here. About three months ago" I said as my eyes rolled to look at the roof, feeling a load being taken off my back.

"That's amazing! You're having a baby!" Taylor said as a smile stretched on her lips wide. I smiled too, feeling Taylor's excitement.

"Did you know about this, Troy?" Chad asked.

"Kinda" Troy replied briefly as he stuck his hands in his jean pockets. During the entire lunch period, Taylor and Chad could not stop holding onto my arm. It was almost as if they had fallen in love with me or something like that. It was making me feel better that I was getting positive attention. I was glad that the two had quickly come to terms with pregnancy. But something had been irking me for a while. Every time I took a glance at Troy, he seemed upset. Usually when he was around, he wouldn't drop the smile on his face. He looked as if he had received bad news or that someone had died. After school, I thought that I would catch up with him so that we could walk home together.

"Troy!" I called for him but not too loudly. No answer and not even to turn his head.

"Troy!" I called again as I reached his side.

"Oh, hey" he said with a sullen tone.

"I was just wondering, would you like to walk me home?" I asked. He nodded as we followed the way home that Troy usually did. Him and I just lived a block away from each other.

"So how come you didn't want to perform in Mrs. Darbus' class today? That assignment we did today is worth half of our grade" I pointed out.

"I know" he responded in monotone. I couldn't take wondering about him any longer. I needed to know what was on his mind.

"Did I do something wrong? Because ever since lunch you've been acting a little bit strange" I said.

"You don't even know me, Gabriella. So how would you think I were acting strange?" he snapped. I was taken aback by his sudden harsh tone and felt a little bit hurt.

"Well, usually you wouldn't snap at me like you just did" I said softly.

"I'm sorry. I've just had a lot on my mind" he said as he tried to speed walk to his house.

"You feel like talking about it?" I asked him.

"I don't know if I'm ready to talk about it just yet" he raised his head, not wanting me to see that he was hurt. But he couldn't fool me. There was something bothering the poor guy and I wanted to know about it.

"Someone once told me that keeping things bottled in wasn't good. And if I have a problem, I should bring it to the table" I said as my way of persuasion.

Troy chuckled. Well, those weren't my exact words but..." he hesitated.

"But what?" I looked in his eyes.

"Come with me" he said as he took my hand and led me to the park where we stopped in front of a tree.

"Troy. Am I really supposed to climb this tree?" I asked looking at the spread out branches.

"Don't worry, its easy. Just take it step by step" he smiled as he held onto my hand as I climbed up the tree. I sat on a sturdy branch beside him.

"If I ever feel like talking or thinking, crying, this is the place I come to let it out" Troy said as he gazed at the view of the park. I could see from the look in his eye, he had strong feelings that needed to be explained.

"This seems like a nice spot to do that" I replied softly as I followed his gaze. Suddenly I began to worry when I saw Troy's eyes well with tears.

"Troy?" I said. No response. Tears flowed down Troy's cheeks. The mood was strange to me. At first, he seemed so happy and now he was crying!

"You remember when I told you how we have untold complicated stories?" he asked as he wiped a fallen tear. I nodded.

"I have one. And just this one tears me to pieces when I think about it" he said. I looked at him sympathetically.

"You can trust me with it, Troy" I reassured him.

"Its not a matter of trusting, Gabriella. It just hurts to talk about it" he said.

"Well, you can talk to me about it. I'm a good listener" I reassured again. He looked at me and read my sincerity before replying.

"Today when you told Taylor and Chad about your pregnancy, and how they looked so happy. It just crushed me" he explained. I furrowed my brows in confusion. I didn't understand what he mean. Just a few weeks ago, he was suggesting that I should be happy about having a baby.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because its happened to me before" he answered. I was still confused. He read the confusion on my face and continued his story.

"Last year, I had a girlfriend and we were going to have a baby together" her said, fighting back his tears of remorse.

"What happened?" I asked. I could feel my heart becoming heavy.

"She left me. Two months before my son was born, she left me. We had planned to live together. I even set up a crib in my room for when I had my son over night. And then I get a call last minute and she tells me that she's on a plane to Florida and that she's staying there" he recalled. My heart grew heavier.

"Did she say why she was moving there?" I asked.

"No. She didn't even tell me what part of Florida she was moving to. When my son was born, she had called me and sent me an e-mail with his picture in it. I hadn't heard from her since" he cried.

Tears had started coming into my own eyes as I felt for Troy's sorrow. "I'm sure you'll find them someday, Troy" I said.

"I don't think I ever will, Brie" he said in monotone.

I didn't know until now that Troy was a father himself. He seemed genuinely hurt by his girlfriends disappearance. I could understand if she never wanted to see him again but how could she take his son away from him before he was even born? It was unbelievable. I put a comforting hand on Troy's shoulder as he cried to himself. I had never seen a man so hurt in my whole life. And not that I was amused by it, but I found it cute that Troy could cry in front of me.

"I know how you feel now" I said. He nodded.

"I'm sure she was very special too" I added. He nodded again.

"She was special. I feel like I'm mourning the loss of dead person" he joked. I chuckled slightly.

"But she truly was special. I even wrote a song for her after she left. I poked my head up and twisted one of my curls.

"Do you remember it?" I asked.

"Like I wrote it yesterday" he replied. He gazed back at the view of the park as he prepared to sing.

**Troy is about to sing "Find Me" by David Gates.**

_The skies are not as blue, when you're not with me  
>The stars, they never seem to shine as bright<br>And the hours crack like days across the ages  
>And a year or two pass by with every night.<br>It makes me know if i should ever leave this world before you do  
>When you follow you must promise, cross your heart and promise to<em>

_(Chorus)_  
><em>Find me...look hard, and don't stop, I'll be waiting 'till then<em>  
><em>Don't sleep, and don't eat 'till I'm back, back in your arms again<em>  
><em>I don't wanna have to spend all my forever without you.<em>  
><em>Just knowing that your out there somewhere too.<em>  
><em>So darlin...please I'm begging you on bended knee...<em>  
><em>Find me...<em>

_I've tried to tell this world how much I love you._  
><em>But they dont understand how deep it goes.<em>  
><em>And i can't even find the words to tell you<em>  
><em>So I'm the only one who really knows.<em>

_And though we have our times together, I am always wanting more  
>So if we get separated wont you do just like before and<em>

_Find me...look hard and don't stop, I'll be waiting 'till then_  
><em>Don't sleep, and don't eat 'till I'm back, back in your arms again<em>  
><em>Through a hundred million faces you will see me shinning through.<em>

_'Cause I'll glow when you come close , I always do.  
>So darlin' please I'm begging you on bended knee..<br>We can share our love through all eternity  
>'Cause with you is all I ever wanna be...<br>Find me_

My eyes burned with the tears I had shed throughout Troy's song. Every lyric had explained his feelings so well, everything was more clear. Troy had smiled at me and wiped my tears away. His song was beautiful. He had wrote it for his love that he missed dearly.

"That was beautiful, Troy" I sniffled.

"I wrote it just for her. But your the first person whose heard it" he sighed.

"You mean, you've never sang, _ever_?" I asked. He shook his head. I bowed my head and then shot it back up.

"I know this probably isn't the best thing to say in response to that but, I feel special now that I know that I'm the only person that's heard your beautiful voice" I smiled.

"And you should feel that way. I can't even remember when was the last time I actually hung out with and talked to another girl" he said.

"You being pregnant just makes it easier for me, Brie" he added.

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. "How so?" I asked.

"Because now I know that I have a friend I share something in common with besides basketball" he answered. I smiled and took his hand. It hung loose in mine.

"I'm glad that I can be that friend. And I promise, I'll never give up on you for anything" I expressed my gratitude. Troy enclosed his hand with mine, promising his friendship.

"I do too" he said. We stared at each other for a long time before I looked down at my watch and saw how the time passed since we had stopped at the park.

"We should be getting home now" I broke the silence.

"I guess so" he replied. We carefully climbed down the tree and walked back to our neighborhood with our hands still connected. We didn't think anything of us holding hands, we just couldn't let go since we left the park.

"I'll see you at school" he said as he finally let go of my hand, not wanting to.

"Bet on it" I mocked. Troy smiled and then waved as we parted ways. All I could think about was how beautiful Troy's voice was. The song he sang had read his mind out loud like a poem. It showed that he was sensitive and that he could really love a girl. It was only a shame to see that his love was wasted on someone who didn't even have the decency to break up with him properly or even let him see his son. Troy was ready to be a father to his baby boy but he felt like every chance he had involving him being in his sons life was snatched away from him forever. It was nice for me to see that there were some guys out there who did love their girlfriends and didn't treat them like their property or just a piece of garbage. I would have been lucky to have Troy as my baby's father instead of Jules. Jules only cared about himself and his game on women. He hadn't any time to care about his kids. I sighed as I approached my house. When I was around Troy, I was in a better mood. But when I was home, I felt like I could cry a river.

"Well, its about time you got home. We still have to schedule another doctors appointment. You're entering your fourth month, you know" my mother said as she was fluffing the pillows on the couch in the living room.

"Yeah, Mom. I know" I said in monotone, dropping my handbag by the coat hanger near the front door.

"We're having pasta for dinner tonight" she added. I pulled out my cell phone and checked for any missed contact information. I had gotten a text message from Troy.

_'Thanks 4 talkin with me today. I really enjoyed it. Cant wait 2 see u again tomorrow. -Troy'_ the text read. I smiled to myself. I didn't know my mother was watching me.

"What are you so happy about all of a sudden?" my mother asked. I shook my head and couldn't drop my smile.

"You know, you seem to be taking to your pregnancy better than before" my mom smiled. I frowned as I turned on my heels to leave her sight.

"What did I say to upset you now? Before you got pregnant, you never to act this way to me" my mom sighed.

I my face grew red with anger, "Its not what you've been saying, Mom, its what you've done. You moved me away from the person I need in my baby's life!" I yelled.

"So that's what all of this is about, huh? You know what, Gabriella, you should be thanking me right now" she said.

"For what?" I shouted.

"For moving you far enough from someone who didn't want that child in the first place and whose emotionally abused you!" my mother shouted back. I stood still and turned my head. I heard my mother sniffle. I hated it when she cried.

"I'm just so sad to see that my only little girl is being forced to grow up because of someone else's wrong actions" my mom said as she tucked my locks behind my ears. I nodded, feeling my mother's disappointment come out in sobs. I knew I had no reason to be upset with my mother. I was truly just angry with myself but I couldn't admit it.

"I'm sorry, Mom" I said. Tears fell down my cheeks as I went up to my room. I slammed the door shut and plopped on my bed and began to cry myself to oblivion. I hated when I was reminded of Jules. I didn't love him. Nor did I like him. It was just important to me that he at least wanted to be in my child's life so that he or she did not have the same issue I did growing up. _Being without a father._ I didn't want to give up on him and make up excuses to my child about why their father couldn't be with them. If I had hated when my mom had done it so badly, my child would probably feel worse about it. I just cried until my eyes couldn't produce anymore tears. I rubbed my stomach gently as I talked to my unborn child. Little did I know, Troy had climbed the tree to my room and stood on my fort and watched as I mourned.

"I'm so sorry, honey" I said referring to the baby.

"Mommy really screwed things up for you big time" I sobbed.

**Gabriella begins singing "Lost" by Katy Perry.**

_I'm out on my own again  
>Face down in the porcelain<br>Feeling so high but looking so low  
>Party favors on the floor<br>Group of girls banging on the door  
>So many new fair-weather friends ooo:<em>

_[Chorus]_  
><em>Have you ever been so lost<em>  
><em>Known the way and still so lost<em>

_[Verse 2]_  
><em>Caught in the eye of a hurricane<em>  
><em>Slowly waving goodbye like a pageant parade<em>  
><em>So sick of this town pulling me down<em>  
><em>My mother says I should come back home but<em>  
><em>Can't find the way cause the way is gone<em>  
><em>So if I pray am I just sending words into outer space<em>

_[Chorus]_  
><em>Have you ever been so lost<em>  
><em>Known the way and still so lost<em>  
><em>Another night waiting for someone to take me home<em>  
><em>Have you ever been so lost<em>

_[Bridge]_  
><em>Is there a light<em>  
><em>Is there a light<em>  
><em>At the end of the road<em>  
><em>I'm pushing everyone away<em>  
><em>'Cause I can't feel this anymore<em>  
><em>Can't feel this anymore<em>

_[Chorus]_  
><em>Have you ever been so lost<em>  
><em>Known the way and still so lost<em>  
><em>Another night waiting for someone to take me home<em>  
><em>Have you ever been so lost<em>  
><em>Have you ever been so lost<em>

I closed my eyes and lay on my back as I eased my mind by thinking pleasant thoughts about my future.

"Brie?" I heard a familiar voice. I shot back up and looked around to find where the voice sounded so close from. I nearly peed my pants when I saw who was standing on my fort.

"Troy? What are you doing here?" I asked as I walked over to the balcony to be closer to Troy on the fort.

"I needed to see you" he replied in a whisper. He hopped from the fort onto my balcony, and tried his best not to make too much noise.

"Troy, if my mom sees you here, I'm going to get in trouble and trust me, you will too" I said as I tried pushing back outside.

"Brie. I can't leave now. Not after we talk, then I promise I'm gone" he begged. I sighed.

"Fine. What is it?" I asked, giving up.

"I heard you sing. And that song meant a lot" I said. I scoffed in reply.

"Troy, just because we heard each other sing, doesn't mean the both of us need to be there every time we do. I sang that in confidence" I said.

"And it sounded just as beautiful as you did today in class" he remarked. I stood quiet and blushed at his charm. Troy seemed to really be growing on me lately.

"That's very sweet of you, Troy. But seriously, you need to leave here. My mom could come up any minute to get me for dinner" I said, trying to push him back again.

"I promise, after this" he paused. I stood still as he took a stray hair and removed it from my face. The both of us we locked in each others gaze for some time. Eventually, Troy pulled me closer to him, so that our bodies stuck together like glue. Soon our lips found each other and we began to make out. I felt goosebumps traveling across my body. My stomach tickled with nerves as my body began to overheat.

"Wait, Troy" I said breaking the kiss.

"What?" he asked.

"This is crazy, we barely even know each other" I gasped. Troy nodded. Suddenly, I didn't care anymore. I resumed kissing him until I heard bold footsteps approaching my door but I reacted too late before the door swung open. It was my mother.

"Mija! dinner is-" my mom paused. Her eyes grew wide with shock when she saw me standing in my room kissing Troy.

"Hi, mom" I said nervously.

"Hi, ugh, Ms. Montez" Troy cleared his throat. My mom sighed and the looked at the both of us.

"And who might this be?" she asked.

"This is Troy. He's a friend from school" I said as my eyes wandered back and forth between Troy andf my mother.

"Is that so? Well, I'm sorry, Troy but Gabriella's got to eat dinner and finish the rest of her homework, so you'll have to leave" she said.

"Right. I'm really sorry about this. And Gabriella, I'm sorry for getting you in trouble"he said sincerely.

"I'm not in trouble yet. But I'll see you soon" I smiled. Troy planted a kiss on my cheek as he climbed down from the second story. When he was ear shot, I waited for my mother to yell, curse, or do whatever she had in mind for having a guy over past curfew.

"So, he's friend from school, is he? So why were you kissing him?" mother asked.

"I don't know, he just showed up to my room and we just started kissing" I said, feeling awkward.

"Does he know about your pregnancy?" she asked.

"Yes, he does" I replied.

"Well, at least he knows, I'm fine with that. But I'm just warning you, Gabriella, to please be careful with who you run around with here. You don't want Troy to be another Jules, do you?" my mom asked again.

Before responding, a smile tugged at my lips. "I have a feeling he wont be. I can tell that he's different" I said. My mother sighed.

"Just be careful, Mija. That's all I ask of you. I just don't want you to get hurt again" she said.

"Thanks, Mama" I said. My mom extended her arms and reached out for me to hug her. I gladly accepted her love and hugged her back. Although she was afraid for me to fall for Troy, it was too late. I had already fallen for him. The moment we had just shared had to mean something. The both of us had shared so much more with each other since we first met. And I could tell that Troy was a loyal and true person. But we were supposed to be friends! I was crazy if I thought that we could actually end up together. Then again, I couldn't be sure until time passed. Only time would tell where we stood from today. I just hoped that my heart was right this time.


End file.
